Women Of The Wise - Rituals to Rise (Week 3)

Women of The Wise - Rituals to Rise Week 3.

What is our Sacred Sangha?

It is a circle where we will grow, learn and be raw and real together.

UNITE: Come or Bring Together for a common purpose to form a whole.

Agreeing to maintain full confidentiality, we create a space where we can attend in privacy and caring and collectively openly discuss our thoughts within the circle. We will all contribute positively and keep each other supported together integrating empathy and compassion and building our self-confidence, creating an alchemy in our Sangha.

Welcome Ladies,

I thank you for your time and space you hold in the unity of this Sacred Sangha

Affirmations:

Breathe in and close your eyes. One hand on your heart, One hand on your belly.

Inhale - "I am the peace that I seek"
Exhale - "I release what no longer serves me"

"I am truly and wildly abundant in all areas in my life!"

Mantra:

"I am willing"
"I am evolving"
"I am growing"
"I am worthy"
"The universe is helping me achieve all that I desire, I trust the process"

Prayer of Women Of The Wise:

"I bring honor to my radiant heart"
"Courage to my deep questions"
"Respect to my true nature"
"Compassion to the collective"
"Let my spirit be energized every step I take towards my soul's purpose"
"I thank you for all the gifts unfolding in this wisdom and beauty"

 
Sleep Optimization

Creating Your Slumberland

Your external environment can significantly affect your ability to initiate and maintain deep sleep. Here are the top recommendations:

• Temperature - Your core body temperature must drop to initiate and maintain a deep sleep; this is why it's easier to fall asleep in a cooler versus hot environment. In the winter, a room temperature of 18'C is recommended. With air-conditioning in warmer climates or seasons, 21-23'C is recommended. Adjust your pajamas, bedding and fan/fresh air usage appropriately to encourage your core body temperature to lower.
  
  
• Darkness - Increasing darkness towards the end of the day promotes a rise in melatonin, the key hormone that initiates the timing of sleep. A dark room helps to keep melatonin levels high and promote a deep sleep over the course of the night. Consider investing in blackout curtains or a simple sleep-mask to block ambient light. Avoiding screens and technology in the 1-2 hours before bed also helps to encourage melatonin production.

 It is also recommended to turn off 50% of the lights in your home at 7 PM and use low-level lighting for the rest of the evening. Melatonin-supporting light bulbs are also commercially available.

•  Quiet - A quiet room and environment helps facilitate falling asleep and minimizes nighttime awakenings. If your space isn't quiet, consider using a white noise machine or app to drown out disruptive noises. Alternatively, ear plugs (even one ear plug worn in the ear that is off the pillow) can significantly reduce noise disruption and promote sleep.

Sleep Rituals:

• Pick a consistent wake up time. This is arguably the most important component to getting your sleep back on track and improving your overall sleep quality. Choose a time that you can reasonably get up each morning of the week, even on weekends. Sleeping later after a bad night's sleep and/or on weekends can have the unintended consequence of making it harder to fall asleep the following night at your desired time and wake up on Monday mornings.
  
  
•  Consider setting a bedtime alarm. Often, you may realize there are a number of things that you want and/or need to do before you go to bed. Setting a bedtime alarm gives you time to give these things attention before it's too late in the evening. 

• Get into bed when you are tired enough to fall asleep quickly. You would never sit at a table waiting to get hungry; don't get into bed waiting to get sleepy! By lying awake, you can become restless and frustrated. Use the time between your bedtime alarm and getting into bed to incorporate wind-down and decompression activities to encourage sleepiness.

Bed Behaviors

• Use your bed only for sleep, sickness and sexual activity. When you use your bed for other activities (ie reading, using your phone/computer/tablet and/or watching tv) you are unintentionally training yourself to stay awake and stimulated in bed. By avoiding these activities while in bed, you will begin to associate your bed with relaxation and sleep only.
  
  
•  Avoid electronics and devices that may distract you from sleep. This includes your clock face - remove it or turn it out of view so you do not worry about the time you are taking to fall asleep. The exception to this is if you are using a device to track your sleep (my rule is to have it on Airplane Mode, if applicable).
  
  
• Do not stay in bed if you are awake. If you are having trouble falling asleep or falling back asleep once you awake, get out of bed. Get up and do some relaxing activity (ie listen to a podcast or guided meditation, read under low lighting conditions) until you are sleepy enough to fall asleep quickly in your bed. "Trouble falling asleep" is considered if you have been lying in bed longer than 20 minutes or long enough to think "Why have I not fallen asleep yet?". Getting out of bed can be challenging, but retrains your brain and body to associate your bed with sleep while also decreasing frustration and restlessness.

Distress to Rest

The most common contributing factors to insomnia and sleep disturbances are worry, rumination and anxiety. Creating a bedtime routine gives you the opportunity to unwind from your day, destress and decompress. Ensure the first time you are checking in with yourself all day is not when your head hits the pillow! Here are the recommendations, supported by science, for optimal bedtime routine components:

•  Take a hot bath or shower - this helps to encourage peripheral vasodilation, or bloodflow to your extremities, ultimately dropping your core body temperature. A bath or shower can be therapeutic to help you relax, while the drop in body temperature can promote sleepiness. Adding a few drops of Lavender essential oil to your bath or shower may also help to promote relaxation and sleepiness. 
  
  
• Journal - Writing your feelings or to-do list before bed involves a different cognitive process than just thinking about them. Getting these things out of and off of your mind can promote a sense of relaxation and decrease restless rumination. You may also want to consider leaving a notepad by your bed for those things you suddenly remember or idealize in the middle of the night.
  
  
•  Meditation - Just 3-5 minutes of meditation can improve relaxation, mood and sleep. There are some great apps available to guide you - recommendations include Calm, Insight Timer, 10% Happier and Headspace.

Fuel Your Sleep Appropriately

When and what you eat and drink during the day ultimately impacts how well you will sleep at night. Follow these nutritional recommendations to fuel your sleep:

•  Restrict caffeine to 12 hours before your ideal bedtime. It takes the average person 12 hours to fully metabolize a serving of caffeine. Working from your consistent wake up time and accounting for at least an 8 hour sleep window, restrict your caffeine intake to 12 hours prior. For example, if your wake-up time is set to 6 AM, your ideal time to fall asleep by is 10 PM. You would then limit caffeine intake to no later than 10 AM.
  
  
•  Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. While alcohol can help you relax, it disrupts your sleep in 3 primary ways. Alcohol raises your core body temperature, making it harder to maintain deep sleep. Alcohol is also a potent-inhibitor of REM sleep, the sleep stage in which we dream and spend most of our time from 1-3 AM onward. Alcohol is also a diuretic, causing increased wakings to urinate. Limit yourself to one alcoholic drink, ideally 4 or more hours before your ideal bedtime.
  
  
•  Avoid large meals and beverages too close to bed. A large meal may cause indigestion and the process of digestion is actually thermogenic (meaning it raises your core body temperature), ultimately interfering with sleep. Large beverages can also contribute to frequent awakenings to urinate. Limit these to your tolerance level.

A Good Day's Night

Your level and pattern of activity during the day ultimately impacts how well you will sleep at night. The following have been shown to impact sleep patterns:

•  Exercise & Physical Activity - both are extremely beneficial for overall health and for the purposes of sleep. Burning enough energy throughout the day is key to sleeping well at night. However, exercising too late in the day can increase cortisol (your main stress hormone) levels and body temperature. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes most days but not later than 2-3 hours before your ideal bedtime.
  
  
•  Napping - if you are having trouble sleeping at night, avoid daytime naps altogether. This is especially challenging, but important, at the beginning of your treatment plan when you are setting a consistent sleep-wake schedule. Napping, especially after 3 PM, can relieve enough "sleep pressure" to make it difficult to fall asleep at night.
  
  
•  Sunlight Exposure - daylight exposure plays an important role in regulating daily sleep and wake patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day. If possible, wake up with the sun or use very bright lights in the morning.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the brain. It tells your body when to sleep and when to wake up. You can buy melatonin in pill form. I’ve had amazing results with melatonin but if its not taken earlier in the evening you may wake up feeling a little groggy.

I suggest not taking melatonin every night. The more you take melatonin the less melatonin your brain will produce naturally. 

Magnesium

Magnesium plays many rolls in the body from supporting muscles, aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation, regulating neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous systems to support a restful sleep. This is one of my favorite supplements.

Magnesium also helps to increase the amount of water in the intestines to support bowel movements.

L-Theanine

L-Theanine is a non-protein amino acid that occurs naturally in green tea.  L-theanine can have a significant impact on your sleep and mood by helping your body calm down and helps eliminate anxiety. You can also find this in a supplement form.

GABA

Gaba is both a chemical produced within the body and also a supplement. GABA stands for gamma-aminobutyric acid. It is an amino acid produced in the brain. GABA can help relieve stress and anxiety, promotes a balanced mood, and help with sleep. This supplement is a game changer for me I sleep well and wake up feeling rested.

  (In this last 1 hour try: a hot bath, calm music, self massage, reading a book, breath work, write in your gratitude journal)

 Let go of the day and find the calm in your breath and body.

Lavender SAP

Lavender has been traditionally used in herbal medicine for centuries. This essential oil supplementation are effectively used as for symptoms of anxierty, depression, restlessness and quiets the brain and nervous system activities. I would recommend taking this one hour before bedtime to increase relaxation and calm to bring about sleep.

Overall Health and Well-Being:

Vitamin D

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a valuable nutrient, vitamin C helps protect cells and keeps them healthy, protecting against heart disease and cancer; and supporting immune system activity and eye health, but where we use it, most is in recovery from tissue healing (e.g., disc injury, sports injuries, etc.).

Vitamin B

Vitamin B makes it possible for your body to use energy. But what’s confusing is that there isn’t just one type of vitamin B, but a group of eight. Adequate levels of all of these dietary micronutrients are essential for the body to operate at its best efficiency. In General, they play a vital role in releasing energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, while helping to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL).

“Since a large percentage of Vitamin B comes from animal sources, many vegetarians and vegans are deficient in Vitamin B, and the only way to meet the recommended daily allowance is through supplementation.

Estrosmart

ESTROsmart is formulated with natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and detoxicants, designed to help you maintain healthy estrogen levels. Balancing estrogen provides relief from breast pain, hormonal acne.

Estrosmart is an ovulation helper because it helps lower the 'bad' estrogens and allows the natural ratio to occur. It helps the egg to get ‘unstuck’ and normalize. Estrosmart triggers Phase I and Phase II detoxification. 

Estrosmart contains amazing compounds and nutrients that help the body, especially the liver, to detox daily. When there are toxins and high estrogen, this triggers our fat cells to grow – we end up with belly fat (and men too) as well as cellulite. There is a link between toxins and high estrogen and cellulite!

Those with Estrogen Dominant Conditions including:

• Endometriosis 
• Fibrocystic breasts (benign breast disease) 
• Pre-menopause 
• Gallstones 
• Hormonal Acne 
• Obesity or weight problems 
• Ovarian cysts 
• Uterine fibroids 
• Breast Cancer 
• Ovarian Cancer 
• PMS 
• Hormone dependent cancers.

Probiotics

 Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially your digestive system. We usually think of these as germs that cause diseases. But your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called "good" or "helpful" bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.

Microbes in the lower intestinal tract help us digest food, fight harmful bacteria, and regulate the immune system. But sometimes an imbalance of microbes occurs, leading to diarrhea and other health problems.

 When the gut becomes unbalanced with unhealthy levels of certain bacteria, probiotics can help restore the balance. They've been shown to secrete protective substances, which may turn on the immune system and prevent pathogens from taking hold and creating major disease. But we are still learning to understand how probiotics may promote health.

 St. Francis Canadian Bitters

 Canadian Bitters is a digestive tonic aiding in digestion helping with bloating, indigestion, constipation, sluggish peristalsis and digestive distress.

This tincture has worked wonders for me just add the recommended amount to your water and you can sip it threw your day or have a shot in water before your meal.

Multi-Vitamins

 by Mega Foods ; Women’s One Daily

This multi vitamin is designed to meet the nutritional needs for woman over 40. Mega Food products are made with real food, wholesome nutrition yeast, added nutrients and carefully selected herbs.

 https://megafoodcanada.com/store/product/womens-one-daily

  Journal Prompts

1.  Are you getting enough quality sleep, If not, what changes can you make?
   
   
2.  What are your evening rituals to create a good night sleep?
   
   
3.  Is this working for you? If not, what would you like to change?

Closing:

Breathe in and close your eyes. One hand on your heart, One hand on your belly.

Mantra:

"I am willing"
"I am evolving"
"I am growing"
"I am worthy"
"The universe is helping me achieve all that I desire, I trust the process"

Much Love, Crystal :)

"I choose to make the rest of my life, the best of my life" -Louise Hay